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Chester Bed and Breakfast was delighted to host a small wedding for family only in early September under the old oak tree. We were delighted when they sent us the wedding photos to share with all of you! It is truly a pleasure to be able to help make this couple’s Charlottesville wedding a special occasion that they will always remember. It is easy to see the charm and beauty of our Scottsville bed and breakfast in these pictures – Enjoy!

James River Brewing Co. opened its doors to the public on September 1st 2012, adding yet another delightful reason to visit Scottsville! The tasting room is particularly charming, invoking a turn of the century tavern feel. Manroom Brews has reviewed the brewery on their blog, and you can follow the adventures of “Batteau Boy” on YouTube. They are currently offering 4 of their core beers as a flight in the tasting room, and the buzz is that “there is something special about Scottsville and James River Brewing is and will be a part of it”. We hope to see you there to enjoy a beer and the beauty of our special part of Virginia.

Chester Bed and Breakfast was delighted to host a small wedding last weekend! The wedding ceremony was for family only, including the bride, groom, and 4 daughters and took place under the old oak tree. The couple combined colored sand to signify the blending of two families, and all six members of the bridal party participated. After the ceremony, the party enjoyed a luncheon on the back porch of our picturesque Virginia Bed and Breakfast – there were toasts with sparkling cider, a gorgeous chicken salad plate, and wedding cake from the Albemarle Baking Company.

We have also had the pleasure of enjoying a “herd” of deer that have decided to “stay” at our Scottsville Bed & Breakfast recently – one small buck (with attitude) and two does, each with twin fawns that are just losing their spots. It is exciting to watch them all cavort on the lawn like big dogs!

The weather is lovely, and Miss D is thoroughly enjoying her time on the sunny back porch. Climbing the screeens is better than a rock climbing wall for her! Hopefully she’ll tire and have a long nap in a sun puddle soon.

Animals often arrive on our doorstep when we least expect it—and often when we just don’t have the time, the space, the energy to rescue them. But we take them in, because no matter what is going on in our lives, their lives are clearly worse. They bring their own needs, of course—for shelter, food, a warm bed, a scratch on the head. And we give them a better life…they love us, and we love them.

But every once in a while, an extraordinary animal shows up with as great an understanding about the needs on the other side of the door as they have of their own. They arrive with a purpose. And those are the ones who rescue us.

Today, we are laying to rest Lucy Rose, our gentle hound dog who arrived on our doorstep many years ago at Christmastime, a wounded and frightened puppy. While we take comfort in the fact that she had a long and wonderful life, and was loved dearly, we are also blessed and awed by the love that she gave back. She has been a constant, intuitive companion throughout our lives. She has laid her head in our laps and brought us comfort and security through the monumental events of life: the joy of weddings, the death of parents, the birth of a granddaughter, the scares of illness, and the sadness of moving on. She has also reminded us to appreciate the simple pleasures that happen regardless of our bigger worries: late afternoons on the back porch, snuggles in bed on cold mornings, the warm presence of another being, and the utter joy of being greeted by a loving and grateful dog no matter how late the hour.

As the great poet Percy Bysshe Shelley said, “The psychological and moral comfort of a presence at once humble and understanding—this is the greatest benefit that the dog has bestowed upon man.”

Lucy Rose is one of the greatest benefits ever bestowed upon us. She will be forever in our hearts.

It is May and the babies have hatched! Four pairs of chimney swifts are busily feeding their young ones in our chimneys. Their hungry cries for more are audible in several of our rooms. Cardinals have nested in the boxwoods, and the blue jays are raising their young in the nearby trees. We suspect the pileated woodpecker must have offspring nearby – he certainly is noisily proud of something!

The winter nears its end – it was really quite mild. Here at Chester our thoughts have turned to the greening lawns and the gardens. Warm temperatures and sunny days are luring us outside. It won’t be long now!

Our last post was a sad one… we continue to miss Suzy and her quirky presence in our midst. Lucy has stepped up to fill in the gap… yes, guests are still being properly greeted! Winter is a come and go event this year – so far! We still have a ways to go.Warm evenings by the fire are continuing – a romantic dinner still awaits at Chester.